Meet The Three Oscar Winners Who Refused To Accept The Academy Awards Explained

Do you know which Oscar winners refused to accept the iconic award? Read on to meet them and learn about their decisions.

The Oscars are Hollywood’s ultimate prize, celebrating cinematic greatness since 1929. Over the years, we’ve seen magical moments, from unforgettable speeches to jaw-dropping wins. While everything seems glamorous regarding the Academy Awards, that’s not true. The ceremony has had its fair share of controversies, like when La La Land was mistakenly announced as Best Picture at the 89th Oscars, only for Moonlight to take home the trophy. And, of course, let’s not forget all those snubs where deserving actors and movies didn’t get their moment in the spotlight.

But the craziest fact is that in nearly 100 years of Oscars, only three winners have turned down the iconic statue. Yes, you heard it right. Some refuse to accept the highest honor in the industry.

Dudley Nichols

The first-ever Oscar rejection happened at the 8th Academy Awards in 1936 when The Informer snagged four wins, including Best Screenplay for Dudley Nichols. Surprisingly, Nichols didn’t take home the award because he was in a significant dispute with the Academy over its failure to support the Screen Writers Guild. Nichols refused to take the prize because he was deeply involved in the protest. However, after things sorted out, he eventually accepted the Oscar in 1938 and earned three more nominations in his career.

George C. Scott

Best known for his role as General George Patton, George C. Scott was no stranger to the Oscars but wasn’t a fan of them. Although he received four nominations and won Best Actor in 1971, he rejected the honor not once but twice. His first refusal came in 1962 for The Hustler when he sent a telegram asking to withdraw his name from consideration. The second rejection came in 1971 after he won for Patton but skipped the ceremony and asked Frank McCarthy to accept the award on his behalf. He even shared that he dislikes comparing performances and once called the Oscars a “two-hour meat parade.”

Marlon Brando

One of the infamous moments in Oscar history happened when Marlon Brando refused his Academy Award for Best Actor, which he won for his unforgettable role as Vito Corleone in The Godfather. He rejected the honor to protest Hollywood’s mistreatment of Native Americans. Instead of attending the 45th Academy Awards, Brando sent activist Sacheen Littlefeather to decline the award on his behalf. She was given 60 seconds to speak as producer Howard B. Koch threatened her with arrest, and she could not read Brando’s 8-page letter explaining his refusal.

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